Anger is a common affective experience which can lead to both constructive and destructive outcomes. The key question addressed in the proposed series of studies is: For whom and under what conditions is anger likely to result in constructive as opposed to maladaptive behavior and consequences. In particular, these studies focus on the degree to which empathy and shame moderate the social consequences of anger, from middle childhood through adulthood. Study I, a cross-sectional developmental study, will evaluate the relationship of dispositional factors (e.g., empathic responsiveness, shame-proneness, self-concept) to proneness to anger and the degree to which anger typically results in constructive vs. nonconstructive outcomes. In Study II, a second lifespan study, the intrapersonal and interpersonal processes involved in anger will be explored in greater depth via quantitative and qualitative analyses of participant descriptions of specific anger episodes. Together, Study I and II will assess developmental changes in anger-related dimensions, as well as developmental shifts in the degree to which anger outcomes are moderated by empathy and shame. In Study III, adult couples' descriptions of common episodes of anger will be compared to evaluate the congruence of participants' perceptions and experiences (i.e., those of the angered individual vs. those of the target of the anger). By examining discrepancies in partners' perceptions independent of situational variations, Study III will provide an important context for the interpretation of Study II results. In addition, Study III will provide a clearer picture of the nature of anger and anger-related outcomes in close interpersonal relationships. Finally, Study IV will be a two-year follow- up of the investigator's current NICHD-funded study of 400 5th-grade children and their parents. Intergenerational continuities and discontinuities in anger-related dimensions will be examined. In addition, Study IV will evaluate the relative importance of parenting attitudes/behaviors and more general affective attributes of the parents for children's development of constructive responses to anger. Taken together, these studies should provide a deeper understanding of the factors which foster adaptive responses to interpersonal conflict, while also suggesting avenues for intervention with aggressive/antisocial problems.